Student misses exam due to train delay, gets Rs 9 lakh compensation from Railways
India Today
After hearing both sides, the district consumer commission ruled that the railways had failed to provide timely service. While the Railways acknowledged the delay, they could not give a clear explanation for it.
In a rare case highlighting the consequences of chronic train delays, a student from Uttar Pradesh’s Basti district has won Rs 9.10 lakh in compensation from the Railways after she missed a crucial entrance examination because her train arrived more than two hours late.
The student, Samriddhi, had approached the district consumer commission after she was unable to appear for her BSc Biotechnology entrance examination in 2018 due to the delayed arrival of an intercity superfast train. After a legal battle spanning over seven years, the commission ruled in her favour, holding the Railways responsible for the lapse.
Samriddhi had spent a year preparing for the entrance exam, for which her centre was allotted at Jai Narayan PG College in Lucknow. She booked an intercity superfast train from Basti, scheduled to reach Lucknow at 11 am. However, the train reached around two-and-a-half hours late.
Candidates were required to report at the examination centre by 12.30 pm, leaving Samriddhi with no chance to appear for the test.
Aggrieved by the loss, Samriddhi filed a Rs 20 lakh compensation claim through her lawyer. Notices were issued to the Railway Ministry, the general manager and the station superintendent, but no satisfactory response was received.
After hearing both sides, the district consumer commission ruled that the Railways had failed to provide timely service. While the Railways acknowledged the delay, they could not offer a clear explanation for it.
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